Sometimes a conversation really clicks. That’s my sense of the discussion I was fortunate to have on the Dispatch podcast, with host Sarah Isgur and Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America. Sarah asks great questions, and does so with gusto. (I’ve been a regular listener of the podcast for a while now, and thus appreciated the opportunity to be a guest.) Nick brings the practical experience of having run for office, as well as his expertise on this issue given his current role.

I hope those who hear this episode will find it informative and lively. It certainly addresses a topic that I believe deserves more attention: how to fix the procedures by which candidates compete for votes to become officeholders. The way primaries in most states determine which candidates are on the ballot in the November general election does not serve the November electorate well for the most part, and arguably does not even serve the interests of the political parties who supposedly nominate these candidates in the primaries. Surely we can do better, and this discussion would be a great place to start for anyone interested in helping elevate this topic on the public policy agenda.